Wisconsin Unemployment
In May, the seasonal unemployment rate in Wisconsinwas at 8.9%. This is about half a percent below the national average. Odds are that if you are one of the people in Wisconsinwho has lost a job, you don’t really care about the data. What you care about is
getting some type of income going into your bank account while you are looking for a
new job in the state of Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development exists to help you do just that.
They can help you with claiming your Wisconsin employee benefits. Wisconsin is now
able to offer up to an additional 7 weeks of extended benefits during periods of
high unemployment. This is thanks to the 2009 Wisconsin Act 11, which Governor
Doyle signed into law on May 15, 2009
In order to receive unemployment benefits, you will need to file an initial claim.
Normally, the claim starts the same week you file a complete application for
benefits. The exception to that rule is if your employer notified the Department
prior to a group layoff or plan shutdown. In that case, you might be able to file a
claim up to 4 weeks early.
When you file your claim for Wisconsin unemployment benefits, you will be required
to provide your Social Security Number. The number is used to make sure who you are
who you say you are and to verify information you provide regarding income. In
addition, the number is used to keep a record of the benefits you receive. It is
used to uniquely identify you in the computer systems.
Before you apply for benefits, be sure to have a 4-digit Personal Identification
Number (PIN) in mind. It should be a number that is easy for you to remember and
hard for other people to guess. It protects you from possible identity theft. If
someone else files a claim or provides information using your PIN and Social
Security Number, you still have responsibility the claims filed and information
provided. Protect yourself by memorizing numbers that are important to you or
storing them in a secure place.
After you’ve filed your application you will receive a confirmation an a Handbook
for Claimants. Be sure to read the handbook carefully since it contains useful
information regarding your rights and responsibilities. Hopefully, you will receive
a notice telling you how much you’ll be able to receive in terms of benefit.
Otherwise, if you do not qualify for benefits, you will get a notice telling you the
reason why.
To keep the benefits coming in, you need to file a weekly claim for your Wisconsin
unemployment benefits. You can only file for a week after that week is over. You
need to file within 14 days at the end of the calendar week you are claiming. To
reduce the possibility that your claim is rejected, you need to give complete
information whenever you file for weekly benefits. In order to get weekly benefits,
you need to answer a series of questions that show you were able to work and you
tried to get a new job.